Forums >General Running>Gravel Trail Course vs. Road? Fastest HM in IL?
What are your thoughts on racing on crushed limestone trail course vs. road, as it pertains to a fast time/speed?
Particularly for the HM distance.
Also if anyone has or knows of the fastest HM course in IL/Chicagoland, open to suggestions.
I've looked at quite a few elevation profiles, and some are so zoomed out it's hard to tell how flat it really is, most of them are flat-ish, but bridges etc... trying to compare courses is kind of tedious tricky imo.
Also comparing a flat course that gets broken up by steeper bridges etc... vs. a course with more gradual inclines...
Thanks!
300m- 37 sec.
You can use the measure routes feature on this site to map out the races. Tedious, but can be worth it.
Assuming the crushed limestone is rail trail? If so, is it really flat? Or does it have a slight grade?
You can use the measure routes feature on this site to map out the races. Tedious, but can be worth it. Assuming the crushed limestone is rail trail? If so, is it really flat? Or does it have a slight grade?
one is a former rail/train but has bridges over some roads etc...
the other is just a trail path, low of 720ft high of 780ft I believe.
Trail is slower than road. You get less bounce back off the surface.
As for hills, really depends on your running style. Some prefer longer inclines as they don't break the rhythm up as much, some prefer short sharp hills that they can power through.
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr, 1:15:48
Up next: Runway5, 4 May
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